Show I 1 copyright secured 1 I 1 JOSEPH SMITH 11 1 I 1 APRIL 1841 1 monday 5 11 manchester april 5 1811 1841 18 11 met pursuant to adjournment elder orson pratt opened the council by prayer it t was resolved I 1 that the day of april be the day appointed for the twelve who are going to america to set sall sail froth liverpool moved by byeller elder I 1 kimball aid and seconded by elder woodruff that the twelve do business at the conference as a quorum anatall ana ana calt call upon the ahn reli or conference to sanction it adjourned till the ath instant to meet in general conference at carpenters hall at 10 0 clock am 0 0 HYDE clerk tuesday 6 april 6 1841 it being the first day of tha twelfth year of the church of jesus christ of latter day y saints at an early e hour tha several companies co comprising in v k the nauvoo legion with two volunteer companies from iowa territory making sixteen corrip companies anies in ill all assembled at their several places of rendezvous and were conducted in due order to the ground assigned for general review the appearance order and movements of the legion were chaste grand and imposing arid and reflected great credit upon up on the taste skill and tact of the men comprising said legion Legi ow we doubt whether the like can be y r resented in any city in the western wester n country at half past seven am the alie fire of artillery announced the arrival of brigadier generals law and don carlos smith at the front of their respective cohorts and at 8 major general bennett was conducted to his post under the discharge of can cannon noti and took command of the legion at halt haf past nine im am lieutenant general be smith with his guard auard staff and field officers arrived al at the ground and were presented with wilh a beautiful silk national flag by the ladies of nauvoo which was respectfully received and halted hailed by the firing of cannon camion and borne on off by colonel robinson the cornet to the appropriate position iu in the line after which the lieutenant general with his suite passed the lines in review at 12 in the procession arrived upon the temple ground enclosing the same in a hollow square with lieu lieutenant tenant general smith major general bennett brigadier agadier generals wilson law and don carlos smith their respective staffs guard field officers distinguished visitors choir band bandy ac ia a the centre and the ladies and gentlemen citizens surrounding in hi the interior the superior officers toge together i ther with the banner architects principal speaker ac were duly conducted to the stand at tile the principal corner stone arid and the religious religions services wore were commenced by singing from page 65 of the new jimain book I 1 president sidney rigdon ali en addressed the asi assembly embly a and u d remarked that the circumstances under which he addressed the people peo lile were of no ordinary character but of pep uliar and indescribable interest that it was the third occasion of a similar nature wherein lie had been called upon to address the people an and to assist in laying the corner of houses to be erected in ia honor hollor of I 1 the god of tile the saints various scenes had transpired s since the first was laid he with some who were with him on that occasion had waded through scenes that hat no other people had ever been not cursed but blessed with had seen the blood of the innocent flow and heard the groans of those dying for the witness of jesus in ull all those scenes or of tribulation his confidence his courage and his joy had been increasing instead of diminishing now w the scene had changed persecution had I 1 in i n a measure subsided peace and an safety friendship qt d T x I 1 rrt rr ew T 0 1 1 li L i with interest that the saints had assembled not to violate law arid and trample upon equity and good socia social kl order order not to devastate and destroy but to the tha standard of liberty and law to stand in defence of civil and religious rights to protect the innocent to save mankind and to obey the will nd mandate of the lord of to call up to 10 remembrance the once once crucified but now exalted nud and glorified savior to say that lie he is again revealed repealed but lie speaks from the heavens that he reigns in honor of him to tell the world that he lives ives and speaks and reigns and de dictates tates that not every people can build a house to him but this only whom he himself directs that the present military display is not to usurp but to command as they are commanded and directed to lionor honor not tile the world but him that is alive and reigns feigus the all in all the invisible but beholding and guiding and directing that the saints boost boast of their king of his wisdom his understanding his power and his bis goo goodness duess that they honor a god of unbounded power end and glory that he is the chief corner stone in zion also the top stone that he cannot be conquered that he is working in the world to guide to conquer arid and to subdue that thab as formerly so now lie he works by revelation that this is the reason why we are here and wily why we are thus that the saints have sacrificed all things for the testimony of jesus christ that s spine gme from rom different parts of europe I 1 and from canada as well as the different parts of tile the united states are present and among all a unanimity of purpose and feeling prevails and wily why bee because use tile the same god over all had spoken from the heavens heavens and again revealed himself he rei remarked that he defied the devil to collect such an ail assembly none but jesus aou would id or could co uld accomplish such things as we behold the devil will not build up but tear down and destroy the work of jesus is like himself in ill all ages that as light shines from the east and spreads itself to the west so is the progress of spiritual light and truth that bat t jesus is is a god of order regularity and uniformity that he works now by revelation atud and by messengers as anciently shows himself lifts the veil ac that tha such things are marcellous marvellous marv marvel ellous loup but nevertheless true that the order of laying the corner stones was expressive of uie order of the kingdom that the lEB were subject matter of revelation and all the scenery acts of obedience aud and understood by tho saints that the ancient ancie ut prophets behold beheld and cedat at this scene and are near to witness the fulfilment fulfillment 0 of f their predictions that we are highly favored of 0 grid and brought near ilear to the spirits of just men made perfect lie then closed by exhortation firotto first firs tto to the he multitude and lastly to the church the speaker 0 r then gave out a hymn page and el closed d by prayer 41 the architects then by the direction of the first presidency lowered the first S E corner stone to its place and president joseph smith pronounced the benediction as follows 14 this principal corner stone iu in representation I 1 of the first presidency jis a duly auly laid iu in honor of 0 f the greit great god and may it there remain until antil j the whole fabric is completed and may I 1 ali lib e sama be accomplished speedily that the may have a place to worship god and tho the son of matt man have where to lay his head president sidney aln then pronounced the me i following I 1 may amay the persons emp employed loyid in the erection of tl ehte house be preserved from froni 91 hirm barm while eug eng engaged ged jn in its construction till the whole is completed in m the name of the father and of the son and of lh holy ghost even bien so adien adjourned fa tor one orre hour Assem HeA according 0 to adjournment and proceeded to lav ane corner stones I 1 according i din to previous order I 1 I 1 we the second 8 adorner Wd W corner orner stobie by the dika tion of the president of the high blikh priesthood v wan his council and president marks was low lowered bied to th its place when the president eilt of the high priesthood pronounced the following the second corner sto stone neof of the temple Terr now building by the church of J jesua esus christ of latte r day si saints 6 in honor to the great G god od to is duly I 1 laid a may the same unanimity that J Js iwa s been manifested a lr ted on this occasion condi continue lue till the I 1 th whole ole is completed comple tid that pence peace may rest upon it to the laying of odthe thi top stone thereof and tile the turning buhling of tae the key thereof th that athe tile saints may participate in the of israels god within its walls and the glory orn god rest upon the same amen 1 the third NW corner sone slone superintended super intended by the high council was then I 1 lowered to its place with the benediction of elias higbee as follows tile the third corner is now duly laid may this stone be a firm support to the bu binding iding that th the whole may be completed as before purposed the fourth N E corner stone superintended super intended by the bishops was then lowered to its place and bishop Wi whitney litney pronounced the following 1 the fourth i and last corner stoned stone expressive of the lesser priesthood is now duly laid and may the blessings before pronounced with all others desirable rest upon the same for ever amen the services ser were then declared closed and the military retired to the parade ground and were di dismissed 1 with the approbation and thanks of the commanding colli manding ars the military band under the cor command of captain duzette Du zetto made a consa conspicuous arid and dignified appearance and performed their part honorably their soul sti shirring S trains strains met harmoniously the rising emotions that swelled each bosom and stimulated us onward to the arduous but pleasing leasing and honorable duties of the day the choir also I 1 under the direction of B S brer wilber deserve commendation what added greatly to the happiness we experienced on this interesting occasion is the fact that tillit we heard no obscene or profane language neither saw we any one intoxicated can the same be said of a similar assemblage in any other city in the union thank god that the intoxicating beverage that hails bane of humanity in these last days is becoming a stranger in nauvoo fri I 1 conclusion we will say ay we never witnessed a more imposing spectacle than was was presented on this occasion and during the session of conference such an ail almost countless multitude of people moving in harmony in friendship in dignity told with a voice not easily misunderstood that they were a people of intelligence and virtue and order in short thit that they were saints aria and that the god of love purity and light liblit was their god their exemplar and director and that they were lit biessel 1 essed and happy if the strict order of the priesthood were carried out in the building of temples the first stone will be laid at the south east corner by the first presidency of the church the south we west s t ca corner should be laid next the third or north west corner next and the fourth or north east corner tile the last the first presidency should lay the south cast corner stone arid and dictate who are the proper persons to lay lav tile the other oilier corner stones if a temple is built at a distance arid and the first presidency are not present then the quorum of the twelve apostles are the persons to dictate the order for that temple and in the absence of the twelve apostles then the presidency of the stake ia will lay the south east corner stone the melchi side priesthood i I 1 Jio pd laying the he corner stones ou on the east side of the temple and the lesser priesthood those on oil the west side A conference was held at philadelphia president hyrum smith presiding many branches were represented and the branch at philadelphia was organized by electing Benia mam wine winchester hester president and edson whipple arid and william wharton his counselors jacob was elected bishop gild and jesse jease prince and james nicholson his con senors |